Anthony Cella’s Journey of Real Hope

Anthony Cella’s Journey of Real Hope

“I think in the last 30 years, I missed two days of work because I stayed home and maybe had a bit of a flu,” says Cella, a married father of four teenagers. “Other than that, I’ve been very healthy.”

But life threw him a curveball when he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in April 2013.

His cancer journey has involved surgery, a stem-cell transplant and repeated bouts of chemotherapy.

Through it all, Cella has done his best to keep up with his regular activities – working out, going to work and spending time with his family.

But his journey has been hard – and not just for himself.

“It’s tough on the family now because they always see me as a role model of a healthy person, and then they saw me diagnosed with cancer,” says Cella. “But I think it brings them a bit of a confidence, seeing how strong I’ve been through the ordeal and the treatment I get here at The Princess Margaret.”

After a long period of treatment, his day to ring the Bravery Bell came at the end of March.

“I rang the hell out of it,” Cella says, describing his experience.

The emotion of the moment caught him by surprise.

“I saw the support of all the people,” says Cella, counting the nurses, doctors and other staff at The Princess Margaret as the people in his corner along with his friends and family.

Cella hopes to stay in remission for as long as he can. That is his greatest hope.

The Princess Margaret offers real hope to Cella and other patients like him.